*WARNING* The following chapter contains many, many, MANY OC's. If I portray yours wrongly in any way, be sure to let me know so that I may fix it in future chapters.
Okay, so I took a while again. First of all, sorry. Second of all, had a bit of a relapse in the depression department and I'm not quite out of it yet. Third of all, I've recently written and directed my own courtroom murder-mystery spoof play. It's finished being performed and it was probably the most stressful experience of my life. I'll have more time for uploads. I apologize again, but that play was time-consuming. Almost forgot I wrote fanfiction for a while.
Review Responses: Capito Celcior – Yeah, I did put a little too much in, didn't I? Whoops. I do have a reason for the child backstory which shall, of course, be explained. Hmm. I said that the reason Black can talk to Pokémon was because they trust them? Um… I'm gonna have to find where I said that, because that's not it. Thanks for the support!
Emi – Thank yooooooou!
ARandomDay – Heh heh, the reason for that is: I love musicals.
Russetwing – What 4th wall? Oh geez, don't even remind me of that Pokémon Adventures chapter. That image of a zombie Psyduck is forever burned into my nightmares. The Litwick fear shall be explained… though I can't say it'll be utterly terrifying as it appears I struggle with writing anything other than comedy that isn't really that funny. I like Durant. Though they're difficult to grind against when on Victory Road. That's the extent my fear goes with them though. Oh well. The Pokémon that scares me the most is probably Chandelure since it burns your soul (literally, it says it in the pokédex). Yeah, Burgh is cool. Elesa is awesome. And Clay's gotta be my second favourite Unova leader simply for the hat. Stetsons are, in fact, cool.
Alwayssearching2012 – Hoenn was awesome. And I just hated Sinnoh. If not for Paul, I would never have watched it all the way through. Yes, I actually like Paul. Awesome rival in a terrible region arc. Thank you for your support.
LugiaLegendz2244 – That's true. Thanks.
AngelicWings24 – Of course. Sues / Stus are bland and boring. Thanks for noticing. A Pokémon action scene should be as epic as the series that spawned it. That's what I believe. Thanks for that last comment. It means so much and it makes it all worthwhile! Seriously, thank you!
AngelicWings24 (2nd Review) – SORRY!
The Observer 00 – Okay. Obviously I should never just conclude my medical research with a quick google search when I have you as a reader. Yes, I realize I put too much into it the moment I released Chapter 24. Oh well, the Alicia mystery, at any rate, shall be solved soon, so that's one down, a million to go.
Spyhunter7 – Yep. Songs'll be coming back soon. Difficult to find ones that fit besides the generic "let's fight" songs.
Eleni – And what if I don't want to? …Wait…
Harison86 – Thank you!
UR PAL – He might. He might not. Depends where I go with this.
4 – Congrats! You win a virtual cookie for guessing correctly! The highest honor I can bestow.
Chapter 26: Rival Reunion Tournament! Round One Begin!
"Hey Black! There it is!" Ellen declared, pointing across Prime Pier as we approached it. We stepped onto the port, marvelling at the grandiose sight before us. Tony hung off my shoulder, not quite as impressed as we were with the gigantic gold-coloured ferry sitting on the wharf, waiting to take Ellen and I to the competition of the century. The early morning sun rose high above the ship, the light sparkling off its steel frame. As we strolled forward, I noticed that there was no way onto the boat as of yet. Instead, there was only a pair of booths on the edge of the port, a man and a woman in blue uniforms manning each respectively. We approached the nearest one, the woman smiling at us as we did so.
"Hi there," she said. "Are you two tournament participants?"
"Yep, that's us, Black and Ellen." I replied, looking over my shoulders for other people. "Um… are we the only ones here?"
"Yes. You are the first two to arrive. Now please, if you would show me your invitations?"
"Oh, sure." Ellen and I reached into our bags, groping around for the small scarlet envelopes. Upon feeling the strong paper slide beneath my fingertips, I yanked it out and handed it off to the attendant. Ellen followed suit a couple of seconds later. The woman sliced them open with a pocket knife, briefly scanning the pages before turning them over and reaching beneath the booth. She returned with a pair of badges with our names on them.
"Here you are. Wear these at all times," she instructed as Ellen and I clipped them onto our clothes. The woman said no more about it. Whatever.
"So," I began, "do you know how many people are in this thing?"
"Thirty-two invitations have been issued to thirty-two talented trainers. There will be five rounds, each with its own unique style of battle. Round one will be one-on-one sudden death matches. Each trainer uses only one Pokémon. The second round will be a double battle in which only two Pokémon will be used. The third will be a triple battle. The fourth will be a rotation battle. And lastly, the fifth round will be conducted in a single battle where each trainer uses three Pokémon." She grabbed something under the booth again, coming back with a pair of forms. "Now please, if you would, fill these out to the best of your ability."
I was about to ask another question, but at that time, there was the sound of multiple footsteps rushing up to our location from behind me. I turned around, my stomach dropping straight into my feet when I saw who it was.
"There… hoof… I won," said the boy who I had fought on my way to Nacrene City, Zack, completely out of breath. I didn't quite understand the meaning of his words until I looked at who he had been racing with.
"Dream on… loser," said Mikey, also breathing hard. Her Pikachu was hanging onto her head, looking rather energized as well. The two glared and growled at one another, obviously having just raced each other to the docks. Zack smirked though and immediately marched past me towards the registration booth. He slammed his invitation on the counter, giving the receptionist a nasty scare.
"Name's Zack! But you can call me the winner of this here tournament!" Zack boasted. That didn't last long as Mikey was right behind him to pull his ear, yanking him out of the way screaming. "OW! OW! OW! What was that for?"
"You got in my way!" Mikey replied, handing her invitation the woman far more pleasantly. "Mikey's the name."
"Y-Yes, of course. I'll register the both of you right now," the woman responded, stuttering. "Here take these badges. And keep them on at all times."
"You got it," Zack said, pinning it to his vest. Mikey did the same, albeit with far less fiddling.
"Hey Mikey!" Ellen greeted her rival with a friendly wave. I sighed. There was really no need to call their attention, Ellen.
"Huh?" Mikey and Zack blurted out in unison, their brows furrowing when they saw who had called. "Oh, it's you."
"Yeah! Hi Mikey! And you too… buddy."
"My name is not BUDDY! It's Zack!" Zack sneered at Ellen before shifting his focus back to me. "I got a bone to pick with you!"
"Bone to pick? What?" I spluttered, holding my hands up like a gun was being pointed at me.
"Yeah, we tied last time! No one ties with me! Not even the Castelia City Gym Leader!"
"Uh huh, that's great and all but… WAIT WHAT? YOU BEAT BURGH?" I shouted, dumbfounded. The guy beat me to it? No way!
"Utterly! Got the badge to prove it!" Zack boasted, taking his badge case out and opening it. I gulped and widened my eyes, feeling quite distraught. He had three badges and I was still wading in the little league with two. I felt humiliated as he gave me a sleazy grin. "What's the matter? Purrloin got your tongue?"
"N-NO!" I shot back, folding my arms and facing away from him. "I-I was just thinking about… about… something else. Besides, I can take you any day!"
"Y'think so y'little twit?" My eyes widened again. This time, it wasn't because my ego was in question. It was because of that maniacal voice that had just rammed itself into my eardrums like a rabid rhinoceros. Before I could confirm the fear that was currently drenching me entirely, someone did it for me. And it was clear who when a hand grabbed the scruff of my shirt and lifted me up one-handed, bringing me face to face with a huffing Gorilla whose grip choked my very spirit. My lip quivered as I stared right into his sunglasses, my lunch suddenly feeling like coming back up to visit.
"Hey there kid," said Yuki as he raised his fist in my face. I was speechless. All I could think of was how bad my black eye was going to hurt. "Didja miss me?"
"Uhhh… uhh-"
"I knew you did. 'Cause I missed you. In fact, you little piece of insignificant crap, I got you a little gift. It's called your death. I hope you enjoy it."
Meepity meep meep.
"Now then, I think it's time I paid you back for that little stunt you pulled back at the river." Terror slid itself directly into my digestive tract as I swallowed again. Oh crap, oh crap, oh craaap. "You ready? If not, then too bad, 'CAUSE IT'S HAPPENING EITHER WAY!"
I could feel his grip tighten around my jacket as the sweat dripping off my brow cascaded onto his clenched fist. I felt death's cold presence sweeping up behind me. This was it. Goodbye cruel, cruel, CRUEL, world!
Except, it wasn't goodbye. In fact, there was a hand waving me hello. And it had just stuck itself right in between me and Yuki. I turned my head and instantaneously wished I had no bones so that I may have slipped out of that situation. Perfect. I was stuck between a psychopath and a sociopath. Try and guess which one was which. I dare you.
"Excusez-moi, monsieur!" Apollo Ruanea said as he held his hand out between me and Yuki. Yuki's glowering eyes shifted to the magician, a bit of relief coming to me from the reassurance that his laser vision was no longer glued to me. Apollo, on the other hand, couldn't look more indifferent to Yuki's stink eye. He just stood there, sniffing a rose he had produced from his sleeve. "But do you think you are taking zis un peu too far?"
"WHO ASKED YOU?" Yuki roared, throwing me to the ground and knocking the wind right out of me. I was, however, able to see what occurred after he did so. He curled his hand into a fist, throwing all his strength into a punch headed Apollo's way. Apollo was a lot quicker than I would have been. He tilted his head to the right and, before the fist had struck the air where his head just was, he stuck the rose in the way. Yuki's arm thrust across the stem of the rose, Yuki letting out a pained grunt as his assault finished. I gulped when I saw that the thorns of the rose had given his forearm a nasty cut, blood dripping onto the pier. My face began twitching as fear boiled up my throat. Oh boy, Apollo could not have realized what he just did there. Otherwise he wouldn't have done it. As I crawled away from Yuki and towards the dumbfounded Ellen, Mikey, and Zack, I contemplated just how much angrier Yuki could get before he decided to kill us all. Wasn't much.
"Congratulations… You…" Yuki seethed through clenched teeth, "are a dead man, whoever you are. Hope you feel good about yourself." Yuki reached into his jacket pocket, his hand emerging with a pokéball. He was about to toss it in the air to release another creature who would probably make a guest appearance in my nightmares, but, once again, Apollo had a counter strike in mind. He knocked the pokéball out of Yuki's hand and into his own. Before Yuki could react, Apollo did… this.
"Keep your eye on zee ball," Apollo said as he closed his hand around the pokéball, hiding it from view. When he opened his clasped hand, there was an explosion of rose petals, the pokéball having disappeared. The petals dropped near Yuki's shoes. The heaving rhino began stamping the scarlet petals out. Us bystanders slowly backed away. This could only end badly.
"I WILL KILL YOU RIGHT HERE! RIGHT NOW! IF YOU DON'T-!"
"Relax, monsieur. Zee ball is ici!" Apollo reached behind Yuki's ear, the pokéball returning along with his hand. He gently tossed it at Yuki who caught it and clenched it tight in his palm. "There we are, a bit of magic to take zee edge of zee situation. No need to be so threatening monsieur."
That might've worked. With anyone except Yuki. The sadist confirmed this fact by promptly punching Apollo in his kindly smiling face. The magician keeled over, holding his face as he attempted to get up. Yuki wouldn't have it. He stomped on Apollo's stomach, resulting in a moan of pain from him (and an "oh, that had to hurt" from Zack).
"YOU THINK IT'S FUNNY NOW? HUH Y'LITTLE-?"
"Hold it right there!" People interrupting Yuki seemed to be the theme of today. As long as Yuki wasn't shouting, I was quite alright, so that was just perfect for me. We all turned to where the voice had originated, the opposite side of the pier, all of us blinking in confusion when we saw a fuming red-headed girl stomping towards Yuki in a mad rampage. The mere fact that she was approaching Yuki of all people in this way boggled the mind, but that wasn't the only bizarre thing about her.
She looked and dressed almost exactly like Apollo. She wore an expensive suit with torn sleeves, contrasting her white gloves and emerald blue bowtie. She had a cape on that was held up at her neck by a dark scarlet broche. Unlike Apollo though, her scarlet ponytail wasn't nearly as long, only draping down to her shoulder blades. Her tanned face was unblemished and featured two emerald eyes that were currently narrowed in Yuki's direction. In addition, there was a sapphire silk hat sitting atop her head.
"What are you doing?" she asked Yuki, not flinching when he turned his piercing eyes on her. Her tone was steady as she marched up to him, absolutely fuming. "I suggest you stop kicking my brother right now before I start kicking you! And you won't like my target!"
"This your brother?" Yuki asked rhetorically, stomping on Apollo again as his own form of gesturing towards the magician. I think I heard a bone cracking that time. "Then maybe you can tell him to stay out of my business where he doesn't belong!"
"Oh Arceus, what did you do this time?" The new face asked Apollo. Her brother simply let out a groan of pain. The sister reached into her pocket, sighing disappointingly. Her hand returned clasping a small golden piece of metal. I saw Yuki's eyes become the size of dinner plates, a spark of greed emanating from him. "Here. It's a Nugget. It's worth five thousand pokédollars. I'll trade it for the living body of my brother."
There was no hesitation from Yuki. He stepped over Apollo's quivering form, approaching his prize and snatching it up quite quickly. A smug grin painted itself across his face as he stuffed it hastily into his pocket. I was afraid he was gonna come back over to me, but it appeared he was a little distracted by his sudden gain in income. Too content to deal with me, he simply stood by the boat and crossed his arms, waiting for the competition to begin.
The girl rolled her eyes as he moved away. She proceeded towards her brother, helping him to his shaky feet. Even when he got up, he was forced to use his sister for support, draping his arm over her shoulders.
"You just love doing this to me, don't you?" she asked, sighing again in disappointment.
"Eh… je… suis… sorry," he replied.
"Oh for the love of- Are you still doing that fake accent?"
"Qu'est-ce que vous avez dit? Fake accent?" Apollo answered rather quickly and dismissively. I grumbled. I knew there was something weird about that voice of his. "Vhat are you doing 'ere, Mila?"
"I," Mila began, reaching into her pockets once again. This time, she pulled out a very familiar ruby red envelope, "am here for our buddy Axel's tournament. And from the fact that you're here causing trouble as usual, I can deduce that you are too."
"But of… ugh… course," Apollo responded with shallow breaths, coughing slightly afterward. He clutched his stomach, cringing in pain. "Do you think Axel would do zis without moi? Impossible!"
"Yeah, you keep telling yourself that."
I looked over at Ellen. She shrugged. Great, she was just as clueless about the Ruanea family as I was. I hate magic. Mikey and Zack had the right idea in ignoring the two altogether, instead taking the time to start arguing about which of them was about to win the upcoming tournament. Oh well, at least they weren't at the throats of Ellen and myself as they usually were. Currently, they were seeing who was more properly skilled at rock-paper-scissors. I didn't know the logic behind that, but I was just happy that they were having fun. Either that, or they were almost about to kill each other. I suppose it didn't really matter, so long as they were out of my hair. And as for Yuki, he was currently distracted with an ominous grin spread across his face, his eyes not moving from that Nugget. Phew, he was distracted.
"Um… excuse me." I nearly jumped out of my shoes when I heard that voice creep into my ear from behind me. I spun around, nearly falling backward out of fear that it was Yuki about to bash my face in like a tin can. But after steadying myself (and realizing that Yuki would never be so polite as to say, "excuse me") I saw that this was not, in fact, a sadistic killer out for my head. Instead, it was a girl. Maybe she was sadistic, I dunno, but she sure didn't look it with her green eyes looking up at me rather sweetly. Her shoulder-length wavy blond hair and side fringe were sitting just above a tanned smiling face. She was a tad shorter than me, but still somehow managed to have a tougher aura than myself. Her clothes consisted of skinny jeans leading to a pair of combat boots strapped tight on her feet. A black leather jacket was worn around her shoulders, covering an open plaid shirt which also covered a white tank top. The girl looked at me with a strange curiosity, like if she knew that she asked a question, I would definitely have the answer.
"Y-Yeah?" I replied, still a bit startled.
"Is this the place for the tournament?"
"Yeah."
"Are you in the tournament?"
"Huh? Y-Yeah. Why-?"
"Where do I register?"
I didn't answer verbally that time. I just pointed behind me to the reception booth. She nodded in gratitude and strode past me, simultaneously removing her invitation from her pocket. She placed it on the booth, the woman looking rather pleased to see someone who wasn't crazy asking to be registered. The woman gave the new girl a smile and handed her the same form that she had given us. Speaking of which, my form was still clutched in my hand. The section underneath my fingertips was a little damp from my sweat, but it was far from illegible. It didn't seem complicated. There was a space for my name and then a section that read like so:
Pokémon Species:
Nickname of Pokémon (if applicable):
Pokémon Species:
Nickname of Pokémon (if applicable):
Pokémon Species:
Nickname of Pokémon (if applicable):
I grinned. This was easy enough. So I was only allowed three Pokémon? Tough decision. I wanted them all to fight. No one should be left out of this. But I began filling it out anyway. But not before a tug on the ear from Tony. I kept my smile on and rolled my eyes. Of course I'd be using Tony. I put him down on the ground first and then reached into my bag and handed him a can of food which he gobbled down gratefully. I then got a pen from my bag and immediately wrote Tony's name in the first slot. I stood there, deep in thought for a moment, until I wrote my second Pokémon down: Witt. Now, who would be up third?
"Ooh, nice choice!" People really need to stop coming up from behind me. I jumped out of my socks again, turning around to find that the girl who had just registered had just been looking over my shoulder, at my choices. She stood there, blinking in confusion at my creeped out expression.
"Mind not sneaking up on me please?" I said, nearly stumbling into the booth. She widened her eyes as her face turned hot pink. She smiled and laughed awkwardly.
"No, no, sorry. I just wanted to see what kind of Pokémon you had. L-Let's not get all tense." The girl thrust her hand towards me, expecting me to shake it. I did, albeit hesitantly. "Sorry. Name's Vanessa. But everyone just calls me Nessie."
"Black, but everyone calls me… Black."
"And I'm Ellen! Nice to mee'cha Vanessa!" Ellen declared as she darted for Nessie's free hand and shaking it in her usual vigorous manner. Nessie let go of my hand as she was sent into an Ellen handshake seizure. She attempted to tear her hand from Ellen's grip but my partner was too wrapped up in her greeting to notice.
"Um… h-hi. You can call me Ness-"
"So Vanessa," Ellen interrupted her, continuing to shake her hand. "How'd you meet Axel?"
I smirked. Ellen would be occupied for the next few minutes, leaving me to look around at the new faces that had been popping up along the port. There were trainers of all sizes. From children to veterans, the participants began to show up through the woodwork. I stared hard between the crowds of people, hoping to locate White in all this mess. She was the trainer to beat as far as I was concerned.
But when I spotted my next familiar face in the masses, it wasn't White. Instead, the happy face sat under an emerald bandana. My stomach gurgled in anxiety. There was a trainer who I thought might be just as tough to beat as Yuki in this tournament.
May was here. And she wasn't alone either. She seemed to be talking to a boy of her height with green hair, a Pokémon with bouquets of flowers for arms and a body that was covered in a cloak of leaves. And she seemed to have white hair, despite clearly being a plant. I took out my pokédex, looking for info.
"Roserade, the Bouquet Pokémon. Roserade is the evolved form of Roselia. It lures enemies with its sweet aroma, and attacks with dancer-like elegance."
"Cool. A Roserade? Never seen that before." I was about to approach them, when all of a sudden, yet another voice that I knew all too well. I didn't know whether to be happy or to cringe in utter terror. Listening to this voice brought back memories, both ugly and funny. And for a moment, I wished it wasn't him.
"Well- if my eyes aren't playing tricks on me, I'd swear that was you Black!" I spun around for about the tenth time that day, my eyes widening when I saw Cilan waving at me as he broke through the crowd. I waved back awkwardly, my heart plopping into my stomach. What was he doing here? Isn't a gym leader supposed to stay in the town they're based in? I didn't get it. But what I didn't get more was that the chef seemed to be joined by two traveling companions of his own. One was a boy, with clothes that looked almost similar to mine. Apart from the fact that the colours on his hat from front to back were reversed and his jacket having mostly white instead of blue shades, we were dressed the same way. I'd be more freaked out if he had brown hair instead of black hair and a Pikachu on his shoulder instead of a Victini. The other person with Cilan was a girl of African descent with poofy purple hair that nearly reached ankles before she had tied it with a golden braid. She wore a simple linen poncho that was accented at the waste with a bright pink silk ribbon. She also wore tight white pants that did not quite reach her white and pink sandals.
"H-Hey Cilan!" I called back as the Maitre D walked up to me with a smile on his face. We exchanged a friendly handshake (no interruption from Ellen this time as she was preoccupied with her one-sided conversation with Nessie).
"Who's this Cilan?" The girl with the purple hair asked as a lizard Pokémon with tusks popped out of her hair like a jack-in-the-box. I jumped again. Oh dear. It was gonna be one of these days wasn't it? My pokédex was already at the ready.
"Axew, the Tusk Pokémon. Axew marks its territory by making scratch marks on trees with its tusks, which regrow if they fall out."
"This is Black. A challenger from the Striaton Gym. I can't believe the coincidence! And how are you doing Tony?" Cilan asked Tony, bringing his face in close to my Victini. The Victory Pokémon simply blinked at him just before he waved with a sweet smile on his face.
"Hi Pansage-head!" It took a concerted amount of effort not to laugh there. But when I took a firm long look at Cilan's hair, it became increasingly difficult. "Do you have food for me?"
"Ha ha, that's great!" Cilan replied, not understanding him in the least. He then spun on his heel snapping his fingers as he came out of his pirouette. Oh no. I knew what was coming. I tried to cover my ears in time but-
"It's tasting time!"
"I can see from my vantage point that a bond as pure as a boiled water shall become the nourishment for a stew that combines all the love, trust, and friendship that you and your Victini have no doubt been developing. The dish shall be so grand that it covers the appetiser, the main course, and possibly dessert!"
"Oh boy, not this again," the purple-haired girl sighed. I could see why. If she was traveling with this guy, it was no wonder she was annoyed. I had my hands full with Ellen and she didn't even have a catch phrase.
"Anyways…" I said, not caring that Cilan appeared to want to say more. I shook the bewildered girl's hand, hoping from her reaction that she was a little more down to earth than her gym leader friend. "Like CIlan said, I'm Black. Nice to meet you. And who're you guys?"
"Hey, nice to meet you too. I'm Iris! And this is my partner Axew!" Iris said as the dragon Pokémon gave me a friendly wave.
"Yeah!" The boy spoke up. "I'm Ash! And this is my pal Pikachu!"
"Hey there!" Ash's Pikachu said as he relaxed on his partner's shoulder.
"Hey! That Pikachu of yours sure does like you Ash," I said noticing the rat cuddling up to his shoulder as if he'd done it a thousand times before, his cheeks lighting up in joyful jolts of electricity. "That's cool. I heard Pikachu can be tough to get to listen to you. That's impressive."
"Thanks I guess. But Pikachu and I have been together for a long time. I don't think I can remember anymore when he wouldn't listen to me."
"I can," Pikachu said sarcastically.
"Heh, heh. Wait a minute…" My mind suddenly clicked. Ash. Pikachu. Somehow, those two words rang a bell in my brain. I wondered why for a moment. Until I reached into my bag, taking out a scrapbook I had made myself of trainers I had followed through the years. I flipped through the pages absent-mindedly, almost not expecting to find anything. But I nearly smashed my head into a wall when I realized who was standing right in front of me. My eyes darted to him, then back to the book, then back to him, then back to the book like I was watching a tennis rally. I swallowed hard and then screamed. "AHH! YOU'RE… ASH… KETCHUM?"
"Huh? Yeah, that's me!" Ash replied, not recoiling in the slightest from my deranged screeching. Cilan didn't either, but I think that was because he might have yelled in the same way on occasion as well. Iris was sane enough to do so though, thankfully.
"B-B-Bu-! So you're… competing in the Unova League now?"
"Yeah."
"And what's wrong with that exactly?" Iris asked, backing away from me slightly, her Axew sharing her expression of caution. I didn't care. After all, the only thing I had to do to prove I wasn't crazy was turn the open book in my hands around and show it off to the people in front of me. I saw the eyes of Cilan and Iris widen as they stared at the multiple pictures and article clippings I had pasted into the book depicting Ash participating in the Kanto Indigo League. I turned the page, showing another two-page spread of Ash's history, this time participating in the Johto League. Yet another turn of the page, and there was another slice of Ash's professional life, showcasing him in the Hoenn League. I turned the page one last time and revealed his ventures in Sinnoh.
"Nothing wrong with it!" I responded. "I'm just excited! I mean, you're the guy who's participated in more Pokémon League contests than I can shake a branch at. I mean, you just never stop!"
"Huh?" Iris spluttered before turning to Ash, who was blinking in just as much disbelief as his companions. "Since when do you have fanboys?"
Ash simply grinned broadly, shrugging. I sighed. I knew I could be a little obsessive when it came to Pokémon battles, this being exhibit A, but darn it if this guy wasn't an inspiration. No matter how many times he was knocked down (or how brutally) he always came back even more powerful than before. He was an expert in getting back up from the dirt.
"Are you kidding?" I asked. "I don't think I've ever watched a more intense battle than the one you had in Sinnoh against Paul! Besides your battle with Gary Oak in Johto!"
"Who?" Iris inquired. I nearly smacked her. All these inspirational battles and she hadn't seen one of them. Did she grow up in the wild, or something?
"Thanks," Ash began, "but I couldn't have had all those battles without Pikachu here. And all my other Pokémon."
"Uh huh," I responded quickly, jotting these words down in my scrapbook. I was ready to hear more from the Ponyta's mouth, but before he could continue, his eyes were drawn to something behind me. His grin got even wider and he waved to what I assumed to be a person he knew.
"Hey! Trip!" Ash shouted. My eyes went into an immediate roll as I turned around, finding Trip facing the reception booth in between the swarms of people. I mentally and physically facepalmed. Ash was quick to rush past me, grinning a friendly grin from ear to ear. Trip's eyes darted to him and subsequently rolled. I sneered at him. Did he not know just who he was talking to? The trainer who had a Charizard that once defeated an Articuno? The guy whose Pikachu tied with a Latios and defeated a Regice? The dude who conquered a Darkrai using a half-asleep Sceptile? I curled my fists almost instinctively. Cheren and Trip. Two pompous fools I'd really like to punch in the face.
"Why is he being friendly to him?" I asked Iris and Cilan as Ash struck up a conversation with the uninterested Trip. Cilan chuckled knowingly and placed his hands on his hips.
"That's just how Ash is," Cilan explained. I glared at the back of Ash's head as he conversed with the beige-headed boy. "At times, he has peculiar ways of acting. But… it's still just Ash."
"I don't get it." I replied plainly. I then turned to Cilan, suddenly realizing what I really should have been asking this entire time. "Hey, wait a minute! Cilan! Aren't you a gym leader? Why are you here? Shouldn't you be back home accepting challenges?"
"Hm? Oh, right. You see, after my gym battle with you, I actually got to thinking about what I want to do. But it wasn't until I had my battle with Ash that I truly thought that I had a lot more to learn about what it means to be a Pokémon Connoisseur!" Cilan clenched his fist, looking up into the sky with determination in his eyes and a confident grin on his face. "And now, as I travel through Unova, I am beginning to see a shining star! A star that shines with what the nature of human-Pokémon relationships is all about! Can you see that star as well Black? Can you?"
"Gyah!" I exclaimed when Cilan's glittering eyes and smiling face zoomed in right in front of my face. I gulped after backing away, growing an awkward smile. "Uh… not… especially."
"Really?" Cilan's face fell. "Well, Black, I suppose it is only visible to those of the Pokémon Connoisseur profession. Oh Black and Iris! I wish you could both see what I see when I look at a Pokémon and their trainer! I see-"
"LIES NO DOUBT!" A voice directly behind me screeched like a megaphone. I fell over in surprise, landing on my nose. I held the afflicted area and turned around to find whoever had given me the jump of a lifetime. The person who had the voice of a banshee with a cold was a girl about a foot shorter than myself. She had lilac eyes and straight purple hair that she had curled near the ends. She wore a sleeveless suit jacket over a dress shirt with a pair of dress pants complimenting the formal attire. The angry expression on her face as she glared at the blinking Cilan should not be considered human. Her teeth were grinding so much I could've sworn there was a production line running in her mouth. "The day you come with an accurate evaluation, Cilan, is the day Tepigs fly!"
"This is gonna be a bad day, isn't it?" Iris sighed, shrugging her shoulders. My head twisted as I looked from Iris to this new girl, to Cilan, and then back again. I think Iris had it right.
"Oh, hello Burgundy," Cilan greeted her with a kind smile on his face as if he had no idea he was just insulted. Burgundy wasn't as amused.
"Don't you insult me with your greetings! This time, I get my revenge! And nothing will stand in my way! Not you! Not your Pansage! Not YOUR STUPID CATCH PHRASE! AND NOT ANYTHING ELSE! TODAY! AT THIS TOURNAMENT! I VOW THAT YOUR DEFEAT SHALL COME CILAN! REVENGE WILL BE MINE!"
And the award for the nuttiest cartoon villain of all time goes to… I thought to myself, rolling my eyes as I did so. Gotta love these crazies I keep meeting.
I was sure that Burgundy was about to go on more about vengeance and being antagonizing in general, but at that moment, there was a bang heard from the direction of the boat. Before I could whirl around for the twenty-fifth time that day, a shower of multicoloured confetti sprinkled into my field of vision. My gaze shifted to the marine vessel, finding a Don George standing on the deck, the switch for a nearby confetti cannon in his hand. He smiled down proudly at the future tournament participants. I grinned as the awkward feeling I had with being near these people was quickly replaced with burning anticipation.
"When it comes to battling, leave everything to me!" Don George called out, resulting in a righteous cheer from the crowd below, myself included in the noise. "Are you all ready? THEN GET ON THIS BOAT!"
I smiled, standing up and brushing myself up before rushing past Burgundy. I neared the edge of the port, a door on the side of the boat sliding open, seemingly on its own. Speaking of things happening on their own, a large ramp extended from the door, providing a walkway for myself and my peers. There were no handrails. Well, this was the height of safety, wasn't it?
Regardless, I didn't hesitate. I was first on the ramp, dashing up the steel grating, a clanking sound occurring with every footstep. Excitement burst inside of me. It was time to show everyone what I was made of. White. Cheren. Trip. They were all here. And I was more ready for a fight with each step I took. I could hear the approach of my competition on my tail. Let them come. I was ready to take all of them on.
The inside of the boat was dark, only a few lights on the ceiling lighting the metal floor beneath me. For a fancy ship, I didn't see the appeal it apparently had. That attitude was soon to change, however, when I walked to the end of the hall and entered a place that made me say the following.
"Whoa…" The word escaped my lips without my knowledge. I was too caught up in the sheer size and look of this boat's main attraction. Within this boat was a ballroom. An elegant chandelier hung from the scarlet ceiling. The scarlet colour bled onto the walls and floor, only the furniture of the room contrasting it. A large buffet table with various appetizers and desserts piled atop it sat at the opposite side of the ball room. Other tables were scattered around the edges of the room, these ones not quite as large. These were more suited for smaller groups considering the plush armchairs surrounding them. In the center of this room however, the floors were not carpeted like the rest of the area. Instead, there was a dirt battlefield with white lines painted on it that almost made it resemble a soccer field. My heart began beating a mile a minute. I knew what this meant. The tournament was beginning here.
"Excuse me," the thoughts had hardly accumulated in my mind as this voice spoke out to me. It was another attendant who was standing at the doorway. I hardly took notice of her at first. "Please hand in your application form."
I clenched my teeth. I'd forgotten about the darn form. I returned to it and wrote down my final Pokémon choice and handed it to her. As I did so, Tony, whose stomach was growling at the sight of the food across the room, leapt from my shoulder and soared towards his prize. The weight lifting from my shoulder was an automatic alert for me to start paying attention before I had to pay for food eaten by my Pokémon. Tony flew across the battlefield, not paying it any heed as his only target was the sweets. He shot himself directly for the brownies like some sort of icing-seeking missile, my feet desperately trying to keep up the pace. He landed on the table quickly, reaching out and stuffing several brownies into his hungry mouth. I sighed, slowing down as I did so. There was no stopping him now. Tear him away from his chocolate and all he'll do is psychically put them in his mouth. I don't even know why I bother.
I knew why two seconds later when Tony started to choke.
I suppose I found it odd when Tony dropped his food. The oddness increased when I heard slight rasping noises emerging from the Victini's throat. My heart dropped into my stomach. I ran to my pal, picking him up in my trembling hands. He looked up at me with a pained expression, continuing to gasp. I panicked. I didn't know what to do. I couldn't exactly do the Heimlich maneuver on him. I stood stock still. I couldn't think. I couldn't move. All I could do was watch as my best friend suffered right before my eyes.
And then the moment was taken out of my hands quite literally. A pair of hands suddenly grabbed Tony by the sides, removing him from my grasp. I stared at my empty hands for a moment, not quite realizing that I no longer had a squirming Victory Pokémon in them. My fingers clutched at non-existent air as my head slowly turned to whoever had stolen away the choking Pokémon. It wasn't Alicia (much to my relief), but rather, it was a teen about my height though that was about the only similarity he shared. I was meeting lots of odd people today, but this guy… ranked about fifth in terms of being odd. Still, that's an impressive feat nonetheless. He had unkempt black hair that was in no way under control. His dull expression stared directly at Tony as his fingers opened Tony's unwilling mouth wide. His arms, covered in the sleeves of a white lab coat, held Tony upside-down, his hand keeping Tony's mouth open. With his other hand, he reached into Tony's mouth. After a short period of Tony making a series of uncomfortable noises, the youth's hand emerged from his mouth, the partially swallowed brownie emerging with the hand, both totally covered in saliva. I cringed, Tony gasping for air as I did so. My buddy then flew out of the teen's arms, flying right back to the brownies and munching on them as if the last couple of minutes never happened. I sighed in relief. That was a close one.
"Thanks man!" I said, waving friendly at the my new acquaintance. He simply gave me a bored stare and turned away, folding his arms as he leaned against the table.
"Not an issue," he replied. I rolled my eyes. Whether he saved Tony's life or not, I was hesitant to talk with an antisocial person. This thought was promptly interrupted, however, by yet another voice. This one was not from someone human.
"Come on Arcade, he said thank you," the voice said from behind Arcade. I looked around this guy apparently named Arcade (weird name, but since I'm named Black, I really had no right to judge). What I found was a bipedal gray Pokémon with pink vein-like bulges protruding from all around its body. What struck me as strange was the large block of lumber it was carrying in one hand. With his other hand, it reached out to me in a handshake gesture. "You're welcome sir!"
"Hey… nice to meet you," I said for what had to be the third time that day. I smiled back awkwardly and shook the Pokémon's hand. With my other hand, I took out my pokédex, wishing to see what this new Pokémon was all about.
"Timburr, the Muscular Pokémon. Timburr always carries a wooden beam. When it can easily lift its heavy burden, it is close to evolving."
"Cool," I said simply. I pocketed my pokédex as the fighting type moved away, quickly snatching up and snacking on a nearby sandwich. I turned back to 'Arcade'. "So, Arcade is it?"
The guy's eyes widened so fast that I think they broke the sound barrier. His head slowly turned to me, issuing a gulp from my throat. I seemed to have an innate talent for pissing people off these days.
"How did you know my name?"
Oh crap. I just remembered that I only heard his name from his Pokémon. How dumb could I get? And he didn't have a nametag or anything, so it's not like I could've used that as an excuse. Butterflies charged into my stomach as sweat built up at my brow. Even as the sounds of other contestants entering the boat pounded in our ears, the guy kept his unblinking eyes on me. For a full thirty seconds, I stood there with a stupid expression spread on my face. Until my saviour came in the form of Ellen.
"Hey Black!" Ellen said, approaching with a rather depressed Nessie under her arm. I breathed out in relief again. Hooray for distractions. Ellen's eyes quickly darted to Arcade and, being Ellen, she immediately took Nessie out of the headlock and began rigorously shaking Arcade's hand. "Hi there! The name's Ellen! How you doin'?"
"Just… fine thanks." Arcade responded, not quite making eye contact. Realizing the fortune of the situation, I leaned against the table and took a bite out of a rather delicious cupcake, grinning smugly. I suddenly remembered why I was traveling with Ellen in the first place. She's my secret weapon.
"So what're you here for? Are you competing too?"
"No. I'm… here as medical staff." Medical staff? So he was a doctor. That explained the calm procedure he just pulled off.
"Really? That's so cool! Are you a doctor for Pokémon? Or for people?"
"Both." Interestingly enough, I found myself listening more intently to the conversation. So was Nessie for that matter. She leaned in next to me, picking up a cupcake of her own. "I'm not… quite a doctor yet. I'm studying to be one, at least."
"You know this guy?" Nessie asked in a friendly manner.
"Nope," I answered. I was hardly paying her any heed. This Arcade guy was kind of interesting. Becoming a doctor sounded hard enough on its own. But for humans and Pokémon? To me, that sounded just about impossible. Then again, I'm terrible at academics. Wait a minute, something about what he just said didn't sit right.
"Hold it a minute!" I spoke up. Arcade and Ellen turned to me. "Didn't you just say you were studying to be a doctor? Why are you on a boat with a Pokémon battle tournament? Shouldn't you be in school or something?"
"No," he said simply. I gave him a look, indicating that that wasn't a good enough answer. He shifted his stance and took a deep breath, as if he was tired of explaining this. "I'm on a journey for knowledge. Part of my studies is to observe how Pokémon develop injuries. Pokémon battles are the best way to do that, wouldn't you agree?"
"Um… yeah, I guess."
"WOW!" Ellen screeched right in Arcade's ear. The doctor offered up the first flinch I'd seen him have. "So you're on a journey to become a doctor! That's cool! Just like Black and me!"
"I'm sorry?"
"Yeah. Black's on a journey to become one of the toughest Pokémon trainers! And I'm on a journey to become one of the greatest Pokémon coordinators!"
"I see. Shooting for those dreams is going to be difficult, wouldn't you think so?"
"What do you mean?"
"I did some studying on Pokémon battles before I began my own journey." He paused, clearing his throat. I narrowed my brow. Something told me I wasn't gonna like what he was about to say. "Every year, nearly a thousand kids leave home to become Pokémon trainers in the Unova region. Out of all of those trainers, nearly all but one hundred quit in the middle of that quest. Out of those one hundred trainers, only fifty of them actually make it to the Unova League tournament for the opportunity to take on the elite four. Out of those fifty, only ten ever get the chance to take on the elite four on average over the course of twenty tournaments. Out of these ten, only one ever manages to beat even a single member of the elite four to become a member of the elite four themselves."
He stopped there. All I could do to respond to that was widen my eyes and narrow my brow further. Frustration boiled up my neck and into my head. I would be furiously yelling in his face if his voice hadn't been riddled with monotone as he stated those statistics.
"So, what you're saying is," I began, my fists trembling with rage. "You think that I can't make my dream come true? You think it's impossible, huh?"
"No that's not what I said at all. I said it's incredibly unlikely, not impossible."
"Is that what you think, smart guy?" I didn't say that. Instead, it was a familiar face who was voicing my anger. Before he could react, Arcade was grabbed by the collar by my good rival White who appeared out of nowhere. She got right in his face, giving the serious doctor a good glare. I smiled. Dangerous for Arcade? Maybe. But satisfying? Oh yes indeed. Cheren and Bianca stood behind White, both looking aghast at their friend's behaviour. "Do you think you're funny or something?"
"What are you talking about? It's just statistics!"
"Statistics don't decide a battle! I don't care what nerds think! I'm gonna be champion! So if you're gonna spout nonsense, don't do it while I'm around or you're gonna regret it!"
"Hey White! What's up?" I greeted her with a wave. She looked at me with her usual anger painted on her face. At this point, I was used to it.
"Who-?"
"Yes, I know you have no idea who I am, and quite frankly I don't care anymore." I replied before she could even say that she didn't know my name. I was used to White in more ways than one. "Hey Bianca! Cheren!"
"Hi Black!" Bianca replied, being the first person today that I was happy to meet up with today.
"Your attention please!" Don George's voice broke out through the murmurs of the crowd. I whirled around in surprise, seeing the man standing in the center of the battlefield, his fists in the air. All eyes were now on him. "THIS POKÉMON BATTLE TOURNAMENT WILL NOW BEGIN! ARE YOU ALL READY?"
"YEAH!" A unanimous cheer broke out through the group. Everybody seemed to be as pumped up as I was.
"I CAN'T HEAR YOU!"
"YEAH! WE'RE READY!"
"ALRIGHT THEN! THE FIRST MATCHUP HAS ALREADY BEEN DECIDED! I NEED BLACK AND BURGUNDY UP ON THE FIELD!"
My heart skipped a beat. We were already fighting? And I was up first? My legs didn't move. The peculiar sense of anxiety flooded me. In front of all these people? Right here and right now?
"No! That's not right!" Burgundy called out from the opposite side of the field. "I wanted to fight Cilan, not some loser named Black!"
Okay, that snapped me out of it. I clenched my fists and marched up to the battlefield, nodding at Don George as I approached my side of the field. The focus of all the trainers was now being sent in my direction. Burgundy was already on her side, sticking her nose up at me. I glanced at Ellen who gave me the thumbs up along with Bianca. White, Cheren, and Arcade remained indifferent.
"Cheer me on okay you two?" I said to Bianca and Ellen. They nodded at me enthusiastically. I then looked at Arcade. I'd show him. I'd show him what a Pokémon battle was if it was the last thing I'd do.
"Do you really want to do this?" Burgundy asked smugly, one of her eyebrows raised and both her hands on her hips. "I mean, it would be silly for a Pokémon Connoisseur like myself to waste my time playing with a little kid like yourself."
"Believe me, Burgundy, I've dealt with Connoisseurs before!" Well, technically, just one. But that's not the point. "And I can take the heat."
"Can you now? We'll see. After all…"
"It's NEW tasting time, s'il vous plait!"
I facepalmed. Not another one. I had my hands full trying to understand Cilan's gibberish.
"I choose my Dewott!" Burgundy declared, throwing her pokéball into the fray. The Dewott emerged as promised, causing discussion to break out throughout the crowd. "You'll never find a better recipe than the one my Dewott and I make, little man! So send out your vintage so that we can get this over with."
I smirked. I had three choices. I could use Tony… but I doubt I would be able to tear him away from the buffet table. Then there was Witt. Against his evolved form however… well I didn't want to take the risk.
And besides, I thought confidently as I stared at the sphere in my hand, I've been waiting to give you some action. Now let's see what you can really do.
"Black!" Don George called out. "Send out your Pokémon!"
"You got it! Okay, I choose you!" I released my pokéball, my selection emerging in a flash of light. When Ellen saw who I chose, her jaw dropped. And it was understandable. After all, he'd never been in an official battle. And he'd never won a battle before either.
"Alright!" Don George declared. "Burgundy's Dewott versus Black's Deino! Once either Pokémon faints, this match is over! AND BEGIN!"
I stared at Perry as he stomped his foot like a bull, nose pointed directly at the Dewott. That's right, it was time for Perry's first real battle. I breathed in deep, the audience I had beginning to weigh on me. I've never battled with so many spectators before. It was oddly… invigorating.
(Music Cue: Unova Trainer Battle – Black and White)
"I've already tasted your recipe Black! And I can see from here that it's a dud! Dewott, use Razor Shell!"
"Enough with the food metaphors already! Perry use Dark Pulse!" Dewott grabbed his shells and made a mad dash for Perry. But my dragon type was already ready with his Dark Pulse. The black rings of dark energy burst from his maw, aiming straight for the water type.
"Child's play! Dewott, use Aqua Jet to dodge!" Before we could land a blow, however, Dewott's body was surrounded by gushing water, launching the otter into the air and allowing him to avoid our assault entirely. The Dewott came down on Perry like a hammer, sending the Deino tumbling. Dewott followed up by activating his twin Razor Shells, setting them ablaze with the traditional watery aura. The water type then struck Perry straight to the face, knocking him upwards only to drop like a comet.
"Perry!" I yelled as he hit the ground with a thud.
"Hee hee hee hee! You didn't actually think you could win, did you?"
"Tch! Perry! Use Focus Energy!"
"Bad choice! Dewott! Use Water Pulse!"
As Perry's body was surrounded by a radiant orange aura, a sphere of water built up between Dewott's two paws. After Perry had built up the energy in his body, he was too unprepared to avoid getting pummeled by the Water Pulse. The lizard collapsed, sliding in near my feet. I heard murmurs from the crowd. Mostly about how little I'd trained Perry. I growled.
"I… refuse to lose! Perry! Use Bite!"
"Let it get in close Dewott!" Perry charged up to the otter and before I could realize my own stupidity, Burgundy struck. "Now Razor Shell!"
Perry's jaw hardly opened before Dewott lashed out with a Razor Shell, knocking back Perry again. Perry struggled to get up this time. I gulped. This wasn't good.
"Ha! No one can get in the way between me and my revenge! You're just a stepping stone! Dewott! Razor Shell!"
"Knock him back with Dark Pulse Perry!"
"Don't you ever learn? Dodge that with Aqua Jet!"
Dewott managed to do so, leaping above the incoming barrage of dark rings and activating his Aqua Jet. He then began to descend, his sights set on my little buddy. But I was ready for it this time. I smirked.
"Haven't you ever learned not to use the same trick twice? Perry, use Headbutt!"
(Music Cue: Gym Leader's Last Pokémon – Black and White)
"WHAT?" Burgundy screeched as Perry charged forward, jumping into the air. The otter and the dragon collided in mid-air, heads bumping. But the outcome depended on whose skull was harder. That honor, as luck would have it, belonged to Perry. The dragon prevailed, easily tossing the Dewott backward through sheer force. "AH! DEWOTT! GET UP!"
"Perry! Let's go! Dark Pulse!" Perry launched the burst of dark energy from his maw as soon as he touched solid ground. The Dewott, who hadn't recovered yet was blasted backwards. Perry kept up the attack, easily sending Dewott back further and further, the Dark Pulse having the same impact a fire hose would.
"Oh crud!" Burgundy exclaimed just before her flying Dewott collided with her, knocking both of them out of the ring. I clenched my teeth while simultaneously attempting to hold back a laugh. The crowd gaped. Dewott just fainted. So had Burgundy for that matter. I blinked rapidly at the sight of both of them on the floor, completely knocked out. For a second, there was utter silence.
"YAY! GO BLACK GO!" There was silence until Bianca and Ellen started cheering at least. Perry spun round, his tongue drooping out of his mouth as he panted. He ran up to me, jumping into my unprepared arms, making me topple over as per usual. After catching my breath, I scratched his fur.
"Way to play Perry!" That was probably my shortest battle ever. Excitement shot through the stunned state I had been in. I was in. I had just won round one of the tournament. I was well on my way to the top. A smile crept across my face as I gave Perry a gigantic hug. "You-did-it! You-did-it! I'm so proud of you!"
"Mama happy! Perry happy!" Perry ecstatically screeched as he licked my face repeatedly. I didn't care that I had dragon slobber in my hair. I just beat my opposition in two moves in front of all my rivals. I was over the moon. I picked Perry up and skipped off the battlefield, pretending not care about all the gasping faces. I especially made a careful effort to take a glance at White's reluctantly impressed visage. I resisted the urge to stick my tongue out at her. I looked back at Perry, seeing him wag his tail as his nose faced the buffet table. I set him loose. Needless to say, the sandwiches were gone within three seconds.
"And that ends the battle!" Don George said hesitantly, just as stunned. "As Burgundy's Dewott is unable to battle, Black's Deino is the winner!"
"So what did you think of that, Arcade?" I asked, sliding in between Arcade and Ellen, smugly grabbing another cupcake and munching on it. "Good enough?"
"I can't really say." I glowered at him. Did nothing impress this guy? "But from what I've studied on battles, that was a rather quick victory. I suppose I should congratulate you on that."
"Yeah, yeah, what do you know about battles?" I said under my breath so he wouldn't hear. Before I could whimper pathetically anymore, Arcade reached behind me, his arms seeming to head straight for my Deino. I grabbed his wrist just before they snatched him. "Hey! What do you think you're doing?"
"Look at his leg," Arcade replied. I snarled and did so, clenching my teeth soon after. My anxiety returned when I saw a bruise on the back of his leg. Arcade was quick to put that aside when he flipped out a Super Potion. "Don't panic. Minor injuries are a breeze when it comes to Pokémon. They heal remarkably fast."
Arcade sprayed the chemical onto the afflicted area. However, this must have stung Perry quite a bit since he let out a small 'meep' and leapt into my arms. My ears were suddenly assaulted by the sorrowful screeching of the Deino.
"MAMAAA! THAT HUUUURTS!" Perry cried into my chest. I shot a glare at Arcade who backed off respectively. Despite his previous action, I had to give him credit for being smart enough to retreat while he had the chance. I patted Perry's head reassuringly. Grumbling, I turned back to Ellen, hoping to be done with him.
But really, would Ellen allow that? Not quite. Her swift feet sauntered past me, bringing herself closer to the doctor so that she could put a friendly arm around his shoulders. Arcade had the aura of confusion to say the least.
"You sure do know you're stuff Arcade," Ellen said. "You're really smart. Just like you Vanessa… Vanessa?"
Nessie had left. I sighed. Ellen needed to learn the meaning of the words 'personal space'.
"Well, in any case," Ellen continued, unimpeded by Nessie's sudden absence, "you're really cool when you get past that serious side!"
"Serious side?" Arcade asked.
"Yeah… hey I just got an idea." Ellen's grip tightened around Arcade's head, bringing him into an unwilling friendly headlock. And before I had time to run, she did the same to me. I grumbled incessantly. I repeat. Ellen really needs to learn about personal space.
"About what?"
"I just thought… y'know we're all on some kind of journey! Black and I are going to be in a lot of Pokémon battles!"
"What's your point?" I was wondering that too. Ellen didn't often think this hard about things. That's not to say she was stupid, she just wasn't a philosopher.
"Well, you're studying the effects of Pokémon battles on Pokémon, right?"
Oh snap. I just realized where this train of thought was going.
"Wait! Ellen! We've only just met this guy! Remember what happened with N?" I rasped desperately. It's not like I didn't like Arcade. I just didn't want to cook for yet another mouth.
"Come on Black! You know how reckless you are just rushing out into battle all the time!" Yeah, I was the reckless one. That sounded strange coming from this girl who constantly spouted declarations of revenge on Team Plasma. "Plus, you get hurt a lot. To the point where it's kinda funny, actually. You're gonna need a doctor on standby."
"What? What's happening?" Arcade sounded a tad panicked at this point. And I couldn't bring myself to blame him.
"She…" I hesitated. "She wants you… to come with us… on our journey."
"You read my mind, Black!" Ellen responded as cheerful as usual.
"Hey? What? I didn't agree to this!"
"You think that stops her?" I asked rhetorically.
"Come on! It'll be fun! Pleeaaaaaaase?" Ellen said, staring at Arcade with those puppy dog eyes she used on me the day we met. And just like me, Arcade's face went a tad red as he looked into those gigantic pleading eyes. He looked aghast. But unlike me, he was more resistant. He turned his head away.
"Like Black just said, we've only just met." Arcade explained. "Didn't your parents ever tell you not to talk to strangers?"
"Yeah, well, that's how it was with me and Black!" That wasn't exactly an argument, Ellen, seeing as how I'm more gullible than a Rattata under a mouse trap. "Come on!"
"Arcade!" Timburr said waving his hand in front of his trainer's face. Obviously, Arcade began paying attention. The fighting type pointed to himself. "I think we could all benefit from this! You keep saying that you want to observe as many battles as you can. Travelling with two trainers like these'll get us all the experimental data you need. Heck, they're basically handing it to you."
I had to wonder who was the real thinker of this pair. Of course, it wasn't as if Arcade understood the Pokémon anyway.
"Oh geez Richter. Don't tell me you want to do this," Arcade sighed. He returned his gaze to Ellen, then to me, then back to Ellen. He sighed once again. "I guess… I can… for a little while."
I felt like I just got punched in the stomach.
But that feeling wasn't to last. That's the story of how Arcade and Timburr joined the team. I didn't know it then, but if Arcade hadn't done so… let's just say I don't think I'd be here today telling this tale. From that day on, I felt like the journey truly began.
From this point onward, the story began to unwind at last.
End of Chapter Twenty-Six!
Again, I must apologize for the length of time I was absent. I was so wrapped up in other stuff. But once again, I'm back to not having a life! Which means more writing time! That's right people! I'm back! Hopefully for a longer period of time!
So that's right, Arcade is our traveling companion. Thanks goers to The Observer 00 for submitting him. To all of those with OCs in this chapter, I apologize if I interpreted them incorrectly.
I wanted to get this chapter to you yesterday, but I spent the whole day finishing it. So, I apologize for any and all grammar mistakes made in advance. I try to catch them in my own work, but they just slip through. I catch them all the time when I'm beta-reading for others. Oh well. Nothing I can do about it. Speaking of beta reading, anyone willing to do it for this fic? I'll be your best friend!
I'm very sorry if the introduction of Arcade and several other characters was abrupt and disjointed. If this chapter seems a little jumpy, then I don't blame you for thinking so. The reason I did this tournament thing was to give OCs time in the sun since I have been absolutely TERRIBLE in including OCs lately. I'M SORRY! Remind me never to make another chapter with a BAJILLION CHARACTERS IN IT! It was hard to keep track.
As for Arcade himself, he and the other OCs get more development and battle time in the chapters to come. As this is a tournament, get ready for plenty of action scenes featuring, you guessed it, your OCs. As well as, y'know, my characters and canon characters. Of course, there will be plot advancement as well. This isn't just fun and games, y'know. No spoilers, but let's just say we begin solving some mysteries.
Speaking of our tournament, I wanted to find a way to decide fair matches. So, to make it absolutely fair and square, I pulled names from a hat to decide the matchups and flipped a coin to decide who would win in the tournament, then I rinsed and repeated. So if your character loses, you have only random chance to blame and not me. Literally anyone in this tournament could potentially win this. Of course, I already know the winner. And I'm surprised at how well it worked out from a story perspective. Again, no spoilers, but I think no one will be sour with how things turned out.
And now for what some of you were waiting for. I received PMs asking me what I think of Black and White 2 so far. From what I've seen, I'll say that I'm hyped. Maybe it's because of that anime teaser trailer, but I am excited as all get out for this game. If / When I get the game, I'll probably be choosing Tepig again since Tepig is my favourite Unova starter. That's right, not Oshawott or Snivy, ironically enough. I don't understand why the protagonists of these games are getting so much hate. What, they have ridiculous hair? Gee, isn't that sort of like… every anime character in existence? In fact, I love the look of these two. It's the protagonists of the original Black and White that I didn't find as appealing. Not because they look bad or anything, they just seem so… generic. Ironic, huh? Back to the point. I do like the fact that they're including new gym leaders. Though I wish they would make them ALL new and not just about half of them (or at least I think it's just half of them, since we haven't seen them all yet).
Lastly, unless the plot of the new Black and White is very very very intriguing, there probably will not be an "It's Not Always Black and White: The Musical 2", since the end of this fic is going to be different from the end of Black and White. Not COMPLETELY different, but let's just say it might not blend to well with what game freak's got planned for the second Black and White game.
And after that onslaught of Author's Notes, I'll leave you now with a look at the next chapter.
Next chapter, it's up in the air about who's moving onto Round Two. And one coordinator isn't about to let Zack get there easily.
Next Chapter: Round One Matchup! Zack vs. Drew!
PS – To get to know you guys a tad better, I'm asking questions at the end of chapters now. It's up to you whether you answer or not, but it's something new I'm trying. Lemme know what you think!
Question: Who's your favourite gym leader of all time?